FAIR Act Sponsors Call for a FAIR Chance for All Future Doctors
Published October 01, 2024
By AACOM Government Relations
Advocacy Federal Policy Graduate Medical Education OME Advocate
On September 19, Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME), champions of the FAIR Act, H.R. 751, authored an op-ed urging Congress to act now to ensure that all future doctors have an equal opportunity to contribute to our healthcare system. Reps. Harshbarger and Pingree point to 2024 National Resident Matching Program survey data that says 29 percent of residency program directors report that they never or seldom interview osteopathic medical students. Further, 73 percent of program directors who interview DO students require them to take the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination, the licensing exam for MD students. Reps. Harshbarger and Pingree emphasize that these barriers are unfair, counterproductive and put strains on our healthcare workforce and system, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
With more than 8,200 osteopathic medical students graduating this year, we cannot afford to wait for internal change. The bipartisan FAIR Act represents a necessary and measured step toward achieving parity and ensuring that all qualified medical students can pursue their careers without arbitrary regulations. This is not just a matter of fairness for osteopathic students; it’s a matter of ensuring that every community in America has access to the healthcare professionals they need. |